Spaeks and nicholas e



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W. A- SPARKS 8v N.-RAP .PLEYEA.

UOFFIN.

No. 338,199. Pzitent-ed Mar. 16,1886

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. if *UNrTED STATES, PATENT Orrrca.

\VILLIAM A. SPARKS AND NICHOLAS RAPPLEYEA, OF ROCHESTER, NEl YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE STEIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

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EBPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 338,199, dated March 16.1886.

Application filed February 1,1886. Serial No. 190,414. (No model.)

To (til whom, it imty concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. SPARKS and NICHOLAS RAPPLEYEA, both residing at the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Burial- Gaskets; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings accompanying this application.

-Our improvement relates to that class in which an exterior wood casket and an interior sheet-metal casket are used, being designed both for transportation purposes and for burial.

The invention relates more especially to the lid of the interior casket; and it consists, essentially, in the combination of an exterior and an interior casket, the lid of the interior casket being constructed with a raised headsection,in which is located the glass face-plate, and a depressed foot-section, preferably arched in cross-section to give it strength, the whole arrangeniient being such that the raised section is brought up close to the top of the inclosing-casket, as will be more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lid of the interior sheet-metal casket. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section of the same in line mm of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar cross-section in line y 3/ of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section of one edgeof the lid, showing the sharp edge for resting on the packing of the casket. Fig. 5 is a cross-see tion of the exterior wood casket and the interior sheet-metal casket exhibiting our invention.

A indicates the exterior wood casket, and B the interior sheet-metal casket, each having a lid of its own.

Cis thelid ofthesheet-metal casket. (Shown most clearly in Fig. 1.) The head-section O is elevated or raised considerably above the level of the foot-section C, the sides. being preferably beveled, and in the top is set the glass face-plate D, the same being cemented tightly in place and made air and gas tight. This head-section C is flat on top, and the face-plate is of such size and occupies such position that the upper portion of the body can be seen through it when the lid of the exterior wood casket is removed. It is also elevated to such a height as to come near to the bottom of the lid of the exterior casket, as shown in the cross-section, Fig. 5. In this position, when the exterior casket is opened, the face-plate presents the appearance of being the faceplate of the exterior casket. By this arrangement the faceplate ordinarily employed in the exterior casket can be dispensed with and the face-plate of the inner casket alone be used, or, if desired, both face-plates may be used.

The foot-section C is made an integral portion of the lid, but is depressed to contract the space to the proper size to fit the corpse, and it is preferably arched in cross-section, or is corrugated or otherwise prepared to give it proper strength. The ends of the lid are made round, square, polygonal, or of any other desired form,to correspond with the shape of the casket to which it is applied.

E E are braces between the head and foot sections, forthe purpose of bracing the lid and preventing it from bending at that point where the greatest strain comes. These braces may be of any desired form and construction and on the upper or under side. In such a length of thin metal there is great liability of bending or warping at the junction of the flat foot portion with the raised head portion, which is obviated by the use of the braces, as described.

The lid is connected with the inner receptacle by clamps GG, attached by screws which pass through them and enter a wood lining, a, or other support on the inside of the casket.

The clamps are provided with offsets b b,

which set over the edges of the lid and press the same down into a packing, c. This arrangement of clamps we do not claim, as it is embodied in another application we have pending in the United States Patent Office. It is necessary to use a sharp edge on thelid, which presses down on the packing, and as the metal is too thin to be self-supporting it is bent and turned in the form of V, with a strip of stiff iron, (I, inserted in the groove, as shown in Fig. 4, and extending all around. This strip not only gives vertical strength to resist pressure, but it also stiffens and strengthens the whole rim of the lid, so that it will not IOC bend or warp, and therefore keeps in proper condition to pack evenly and uniformly all around the casket.

The great object of this invention is to so construct the lid above described that when the two caskets are fitted together the head portion of the lid shall project up into and fill the hollow space under the lid of the exterior casket and lie close to the upper lid, while at the same time the foot port-ion shall rest closely over the body. This is done by building 'up the head-section G to a level near to the constructed with a raised head-section that rests near the lid of the exterior casket, and a foot portion that lies substantially on a level with the clamps that attach the lid in place.

2. The casket-lid constructed of sheet metal, with the raised head-section O, the depressed foot-section O, and braces E E between the two sections, as set forth.

3. The casketlid constructed of sheet metal, with a raised head-section and a depressed foot-section, the lower edges of which are bent and turned in V form, with a strip of stiff metal in the groove to form a packing-edge, as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. W 7

WILLIAM A. SPARKS. N. RAPPLEYEA.

Witnesses;

S. L. DOBBIN, R. F. OSGOOD. 

